One Of My Favorites!
If you are looking for a drill that helps you with your balance, body position, rotation, kick efficiency and breathing then look no further. This is the drill for you. The 6 Kicks and Roll drill is probably my favorite drill to do when warming up and recovering between hard sets. It is great for warming up because it activates up all the small muscles that you need for rotation when swimming. It prepares your body for the pre and main sets to come and sets you up to have a more efficient kick and body position throughout your workout.
This drill can be complicated so don’t get frustrated. Just remember why you are doing the drill and focus on that one piece of the stroke throughout the drill. If you get too frustrated, then move on to a different drill and come back to this. This drill really works the foundations of freestyle swimming so it is great to start to incorporate it into your workouts. If you are struggling, then you can try throwing on a pair of fins to help give you the lift from your kick that you may be missing. You can also build off this drill by adding in a stroke during the rolling phase of the drill.
There are a few key points to remember when doing this drill. You want to make sure you keep your eyes looking down and your neck relaxed. You also want to start your rotation from you hips and core instead of from your shoulders. This will make turning your head to the side easier especially when you are breathing. The roll from one side to the other should be smooth and relaxed. It shouldn’t be rushed. It is better to only do 2 good rotations during a length of swimming instead of doing 20 bad ones. Go slow, be patient and most importantly try to have some fun learning a new and complicated drill!
Let us know how you do with this drill and please let us know some of your favorites. I am always looking for new drills to incorporate in my workouts.
Good luck and have fun. Remember, Successful swims are build with Endurance!